About Our Work

Through an earth-based program of healing, self-actualization and connection to community and nature, Green Arrow Co-Lab provides a comprehensive gardening and mindfulness curriculum for youth and young adults who have had involvement with the justice system. Our mission is to support young people harmed by systemic injustice, structural racism and a societal disconnect as they reconnect to themselves and their future opportunities for success.

Our programming is designed for those impacted by the criminal justice system - both inside and outside prison walls; and specifically serves the disproportionate number of black and brown people that are in the system and living in low-income communities. We recognize the roots of disproportionate harm comes from socialized behaviors, racial disparities from the justice system, a disparate educational system, and generational poverty and trauma and impacts current and future wellbeing.

This is a restorative and holistic-healing solution based on bringing the body and soul back to nature and self. By allowing participants to heal traumas and develop a strong sense of self and wholeness they are better positioned to succeed in today’s world.

The program starts with getting our hands in the soil and tending gardens - this is a fundamental beginning to healing. The act of caring for something that cares for you is a nourishing reciprocal bond that opens a space for healing and the ability to thrive inwardly and outwardly.  

Our work addresses the gap in services for system-impacted youth by focusing on underlying issues that prevent many of these young people from finding stability and positive long term change. Our key components for youth empowerment include:

• Various trauma healing modalities

• Sustainable and regenerative agriculture practices

• Passion exploration and job training 

• Leadership development

• 1:1 Case Management and group healing circles

• Outside business partnerships for job placement

Our trauma-informed approach uses cognitive, somatic, and nature-based practices to help individuals regulate their nervous system and build greater resiliency. Gardening becomes the center and the physical touch point of this work.

Our values help orient our organization to ensure programming targets holistic support of youth:

• Youth agency: Young people know what they need to heal. We offer tools that promote self agency to support youth-led programming 

• Cultural ways of knowing: The relationship with land and community are essential to self-identity, belonging, and healing

• Finding your passion: When you do what you love you bring more joy and positivity into your own life and into the world 

• Courageous self-exploration: Knowing and loving ourselves and facing our struggles and challenges is needed to support healthy people, communities and a just society to change the world

Our goal is to work in conjunction with schools, prisons, juvenile detention centers, community-based organizations, and schools. Each program is tailored to its specific location and focuses on each participant as an individual as well as the group dynamic and connection.

To achieve our bigger vision, we are actively developing a Healing Center for intensive healing and transformation that could act as a reentry facility and/or diversion program for those facing possible sentencing.

We’d love to set up a program in your location - contact us to start the conversation!

Learn More about our methods here.